The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly, to a connector which is mounted on a substrate and fitted to a mating connector.
Conventionally, electronic devices such as mobile devices and information devices have been widely used. However, such an electronic device is often provided with a connector through which the electronic device is connected to an external apparatus for sending and receiving signals to and from the external apparatus, and with a so-called tactile switch which is actuated with an operator's finger to input electric signals to the electronic device so as to cause the device to execute various operations.
In general, a connector is fitted to a mating connector which is connected to an external apparatus, to transmit signals. In order to prevent the electric signals transmitted through the connector from being affected by electromagnetic waves from outside, a connector with an electromagnetic shielding effect is desirable.
In addition, due to a recent trend in which thinner electronic devices and larger display screens are more desirable, such connectors and tactile switches are often installed in the periphery of the display screen. In this regard, the mounting space needs to be reduced.
Under these circumstances, JP 2011-142078 A, for example, discloses a connector with a built-in switch. In this connector, as illustrated in FIG. 9, a connector body 2 is disposed on a surface of a substrate 1, and ends of a shell 3 covering the connector body 2 are fixed by soldering to pads 4 of the substrate 1, and the connector is configured so that a jack 5 as a mating connector may be fitted. Inside the connector body 2, contacts 6 which come into contact with a contact portion of the jack 5 are disposed. The shell 3 is partially cut by punching to obtain a cut piece as a switch contact 7. Adjacently to a free end 7a of the switch contact 7, another contact 8 is disposed.
As illustrated in FIG. 10, the contact 8 is disconnected from the shell 3, and has a tip section 8a overhanging into a jack receiving portion 9 of the connector body 2. When the jack 5 is inserted into the jack receiving portion 9, the tip section 8a of the contact 8 is lifted by the jack 5 and comes into contact with the free end 7a of the switch contact 7. In this way, the switch for detecting a fitting status of the jack 5 is formed.
According to the connector described in JP 2011-142078 A, shielding can be provided by the shell 3, and because the switch for detecting the fitting status of the jack 5 is built in the connector, the mounting space becomes smaller than in a case where the connector and the switch are separately disposed.
It, however, is not possible with the connector described in JP 2011-142078 A that various operations are carried out by the actuation with an operator's finger irrespective of the fitting of the jack 5. Supposing that a tactile switch, such as a press button switch which is actuated with an operator's finger irrespective of the fitting of a mating connector, is to be installed on an electronic device, the tactile switch needs to be provided as a separate component, independently of the connector, which requires a larger mounting space.